Brunch: Brie and Egg Strata

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The past couple of weeks have been spent really simply—reading a new book at the beach, swimming in the pool, taking a quick trip to St. Simon’s Island (the Tibi outlet** is pretty awesome) and cooking A LOT. Brunch is by far my favorite meal. Brunch food is usually more substantial than breakfast food, and tends to be more sophisticated. This past Sunday, I baked up a strata utilizing a freshly-baked rye bread from Community Loaves. Have you heard of Community Loaves? It’s a subscription-based bread service. Pay a monthly fee, and have fresh bread delivered to your door twice a month. Or you can pick up a loaf at a handful of area retailers, including Lillie’s Coffee Bar at the Beach, or Sweet Theory (an amazing vegan bakery near my office.)

This dish is really good on its own, or with some avocado alongside… and anything baked in a casserole dish is okay by me. Casseroles are fairly easy to put together, and tend to yield a lot of leftovers, especially if you’re serving them to only two people. I personally love leftovers, because they allow me leftovers to individually package and bring to work (not only are leftovers cheaper than eating out, they are generally healthier).

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Brie & Egg Strata
Recipe adapted from a 2006 Cooking Light Magazine.

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups diced unpeeled Yukon gold potato (1 large)
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 pound ciabatta (or any type of delicious bread you prefer), cut into 1-inch cubes, toasted
Cooking spray
4 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed and chopped
1 cup egg substitute (I just used two additional eggs)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, potato, and bell pepper; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Combine onion mixture and bread.
2. Place half of bread mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with half of Brie. Top with remaining bread mixture and remaining Brie.
3. Place egg substitute and eggs in a medium bowl. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, herbes de Provence, and pepper. Add milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture. Let stand 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°.
4. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until set. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

**PS. A peek at my haul from the Tibi outlet in St. Simon’s. The selection is really wonderful and the prices are amazing… I got that cute little lobster clutch for free, as a result of spending probably too much money. 

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Somewhere in the City

I recently met two really sweet girls—Morgan and Amanda of local blog, Somewhere in the City. Their blog showcases restaurants, happenings and people that are making their mark on the city. Recently, I had the pleasure of being interviewed and photographed by the girls (which I must admit was pretty strange—I’m used to being the one doing the interviewing.)

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I make it a point to read their blog every day and you should, too—especially if you want to read about fun new restaurants or upcoming events. (Speaking of upcoming events…the MOCA Contemporaries are hosting a movie night in the museum theatre on June 27. Tickets are only $10 and include a complimentary cocktail. RSVP here.)

If you happen to be in the Jacksonville area, the girls are hosting a get-together tonight at Aardwolf Brewery in San Marco (a new brewery that serves up delicious brews in a pretty fantastic atmosphere.)

And if you’re curious…the photo above was taken by Morgan, the talented photographer half of Somewhere in the City. I am wearing an Acne shirt, Helmut Lang blazer, Helmut Lang silk pants, Maison Martin Margiela shoes, and a vintage gold belt (worn as a necklace.)

Dinner: Korean Chicken Tacos

tacos1My boyfriend recently surprised me with a copy of It’s All Good, the newest cookbook from Gwyneth Paltrow. Mrs. Paltrow has received a lot of flack for her book, which espouses a diet free of gluten, and rich with whole, unprocessed foods. I will admit that cooking like Pepper Potts tends to veer on the expensive side, but so far all of the recipes I’ve made from the cookbook are delicious, healthy, and make you feel good.

On a recent rainy night, we decided to tackle the recipe for Korean chicken tacos. The dish has several components and is not for the faint of heart. But it’s the perfect thing to make if you have a couple hours to kill, and want to eat a dish that’s healthy, filling and full of flavor. Sidenote: I was unable to find gochujang (a Korean chili paste that is called for in several of the recipe’s components). Instead, I subbed a bit of sriracha, with great results.

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Korean chicken tacos

recipe from It’s All Good

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp sriracha
1 serving Korean BBQ sauce*
A couple high-quality corn tortillas
Korean slaw, kimchi, and Korean salsa to serve**

1. Mix the olive oil and sriracha in a bowl. Brush the chicken breasts liberally with the mixture and let sit for ten minutes or so.
2. Preheat a grill over high heat. Grill the chicken for three minutes on one side, turn over and baste with the Korean BBQ sauce. Cook for another three minutes, turn over and baste again, until the chicken is cooked through.
3. Warm the tortillas in a skillet (or in the microwave with paper towels between each.
3. To serve, dice the chicken and place on the tortillas. Spoon a bit of korean salsa, slaw and kimchi on top.
4. Dig in.

*(To make the BBQ sauce, simply blend 1/2 cup orange marmalade, a teaspoon of sriracha, one teaspoon of soy sauce, one teaspoon of fish sauce, one teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, and a minced garlic clove.)
**We used Gwyneth’s recipes for the slaw and kimchi. Both were absolutely delicious. You can always use store-bought kimchi, but her recipe is so quick, it’s worth it. Same goes for the slaw.

Korean salsa

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs gochujang
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp fish sauce

1. Preheat the broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and toss, directly on the sheet, the tomatoes and onion with the olive oil.
2. Broil, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have collapsed and the onions have softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Place the tomatoes and onions in a food processor with the remaining ingredients and blitz until pureed. Remove salsa to a bowl and season to taste with salt.

Ensemble du Jour: Jacksonville Fashion Week

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of events…from the MOCA Contemporary Classic to Jacksonville Fashion Week, it’s been a fun (albeit exhausting) month. I spent the past weekend indulging in some delicious home-cooked food (homemade Big Kahuna burgers made my friend Alison that are out of this world) and board games (sour Apples to Apples) with great friends. I think the best thing about getting older is realizing what really matters in life—namely, positive people, great food and copious amounts of laughter.

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About two weeks ago, I attended the final event of the third annual Jacksonville Fashion Week—the Featured Designers Showcase. It was held in a fantastic venue, and featured some really great wares from local designers like Lisa Kaminski and Sandra Alford. I went for a comfortable look, courtesy of baggy trousers and a simple Hanes tee. I thought the event was the perfect excuse to wear my new Chanel Temporary Tattoos (a birthday gift from my Big Kahuna burger-making friend Alison). I had lusted after these tattoos when they first came out, but was never able to find them. She was kind enough to track down a set and they are just the most amazing things ever.

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The pants are by Céline, the shoes are Prada, and the fur and earrings are vintage. The bag is Alexander McQueen.

Here’s to a new week and a fresh start! I plan on spending the remainder of my week cooking healthy dishes out of my new favorite cookbook and planning an upcoming trip to Malibu with my boyfriend… very much looking forward to shopping in Venice Beach, sitting poolside at the Four Seasons, and indulging in sushi at Nobu on the beach (Nobu has long been one of my favorite restaurants, but I’ve yet to visit the Malibu location)!

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Three Things

Three things currently on my radar:

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1. It’s All Good, the latest cookbook from Gwyneth Paltrow. Gwyneth gets a lot of flack for espousing a gluten-free, largely meat-free diet and coming off as a bit out of touch. Personally, I share a similar food ethos to Mrs. Paltrow. After being vegetarian for more than ten years, I started eating meat again and realized it makes me feel sluggish. I still indulge in a steak very rarely, but I think it’s important to take stock of your diet on a regular basis. I can’t wait to see her new cookbook in its entirety (Self has a preview, and that salmon recipe is on the top of my to-make list).

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2. The work of Michelle Armas. My great friend Fem invited me to a gallery opening featuring Armas’ work a few weeks ago, and I was truly blown away. I had seen her work on various blogs and such (she has quite a fashionable following) but in person, her work is just extraordinary. Full of color and vibrancy, the pieces are unique without being overtly trendy. She is also a truly nice person who couldn’t have been more gracious as everyone gushed over her paintings at the opening.

3. The Vogue Voices series, which recently profiled Alexander Wang (designer of his eponymous line, and newly-appointed creative director of Balenciaga). I find it fascinating to go inside the mind of someone so creative, even if just for a moment.